


Shaking Your Ground

by Jamsu



Category: Buffy the Vampire Slayer
Genre: Alternate Universe - Buffy The Vampire Slayer Fusion, Buffy with a brother, Challenge Response, Elysian Fields challenge response, F/M, Spike and original character friendship
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-03-23
Updated: 2016-07-06
Packaged: 2018-05-28 15:53:47
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 7,647
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6335068
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jamsu/pseuds/Jamsu
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Buffy thought that she had gotten rid of Spike when she comes back from Los Angeles. What happens when she finds out that Spike isn't only back, but hanging out with her big brother?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Prologue

Buffy's life changed when she was fifteen years old. She was a normal teenage girl with parents and big brother until Merrick found her. Merrick informed her that she was the chosen one and she was supposed to fight against vampires.

Buffy could see that Merrick could get really frustrated with her but she couldn't help it. She wasn't like all the other slayers. She was used to just talk about boys, go to the cheerleading practice and quarrel with Manny.

"You know you can always talk to me, right?" her brother asked her one day. Manny could see that something was bothering his sister. He just didn't know what it was.

"Manny…" Buffy said sadly. She knew that her brother thought that he could keep her safe from anything but he really couldn't. _Not from this._

"What's going on, Buffy? Is it a boy or…Tyler maybe?" Manny asked her. Manny, of course, would think it would be Tyler, the boy she was into before all this.

"No, it's not a boy. I promise," Buffy told him as she walked into bathroom. Buffy wished she could tell him but she couldn't. She really wished that she wouldn't need to keep this as a secret from her family and that she just could stop staking vampires.

* * *

"YOU DID WHAT?!" Manny asked her.

"I burned down the high school gym," she told him calmly. Truthfully he was everything but calm. What could she say? That her watcher died and the gym was full of vampires so she had to burn it?

"Mom's going to freak," Manny murmured.

"I know, Manny. That's why I'm going," she told him and that's when he saw that she was packing her clothes on a bag.

"Go where, Buffy?" Manny asked her, frustrated.

"Away," she told him as it was obvious.

"You can't just go," Manny told him angrily.

"Why the hell not? Dad would be glad to see me gone."

"That's not true and you know it," Manny said, crossing his arms.

"Isn't it? They are always fighting because of me," Buffy said as she tried her best not to cry. He could deny it all he wanted but it was true.

"Buffy…"

"I was expelled, Manny."

"Let me just talk to them."

"No. I'm leaving with Pike. Please just let me go, Benjaman," she pleaded with him, using his name and not his nickname. He let her go because he knew there was nothing he could say to change his sister's mind.

Buffy thought going away would be best for everyone but she was wrong. She told everything to her family after she came back and they didn't believe her, so they decided to commit her to an insane asylum. Buffy realized that it was better not to perpetuate her story, and she was released after a few short weeks.

* * *

Joyce and Hank divorced, so Joyce decided to move to Sunnydale with her children. Buffy didn't really blame herself about the divorce. It wasn't her fault, even though her parents fought a lot about her. She didn't make her father to cheat on her mom. Buffy still felt guilty because her mother had to get a new job and her brother had to leave all of his friends behind.

Moving to Sunnydale had its ups and downs. She didn't have as many friends as she did in Los Angeles but she was much closer to Willow and Xander than she was to her LA friends.

Manny loved his sister but he didn't really believe on vampires until she died. He became suspicious that something really bad was going on after Buffy started to tell him how much she loved him.

He knew about Angel but he didn't know he was a vampire until Xander told him the story how he saved Buffy because Angel couldn't. Manny thought Angel was a regular guy but really creepy and tried to warn Buffy that he didn't like him. Buffy didn't listen to him, of course and Angel lost his soul.

* * *

"So you're the slayer's brother?" Spike asked Manny as Buffy talked on a phone with one of her friends on the kitchen.

"I am and you are the vampire that keeps trying to kill my sister but can't?" Manny asked him.

"At least I like you better than the other one," Manny murmured so quietly that only Spike heard him and Spike smirked.

"So you live in town?" Joyce asked the vampire as Buffy walked in.

"Is Willow alright?" Joyce asked her daughter.

"Yeah. She's fine," Buffy told her mother. Buffy spoke business with Spike.

"Wait. He's not your boyfriend?" Manny asked after Spike mentioned Dru.

"Of course not!" Buffy yelled at her brother, giving him a look that would kill him if looks could kill.

"Well you dated the other one," Manny said.

"And because I dated _a vampire_ , I'm supposed to date others too?"

"How do I know? It's not like you tell me much," Manny reasoned.

"Angel is different," Buffy told his brother.

"I told you he was a creep but you dated him anyway."

"Let's not talk about this now. We have more important things to talk about," Buffy told his brother before turning to look at Spike again.

"She killed Kendra!"

"Who?" Manny asked confused.

"Dru. Keep up," Buffy said.

"Dru bagged a slayer?" Spike asked the slayer impressed before laughing little, "She didn't tell me. Good for her."

"Thought not from your perspective, I suppose," Spike said after Buffy just blinked at him.

"I can't believe I let you into my house," Buffy said, narrowing her eyes at the vampire.

"So you didn't kill that girl," Joyce said, relieved.

"Mom!" Manny yelled, "How could you say that? Of course Buffy didn't kill her."

"Did she explode like that man out there," Joyce asked, referring to a vampire she saw Buffy dust.

"She was a slayer, mom."

"Like you are?" Joyce asked and Buffy nodded her head to confirm the question. Manny was just glad his mother wasn't mentioning the mad house in front of the vampire.

Buffy and Spike spoke more about the battle, while Joyce asked questions like: "Have you tried not being a slayer."

"Are you sure you can't date him?" Manny asked after Spike left.

"Manny," Buffy said annoyed.


	2. Chapter 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Buffy comes back from LA and has a talk with her brother. She founds out who is also back.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Takes place during Dead Man's Party. Has not been beta'd.

Buffy still felt weird about being back in Sunnydale. She had tried her best to be normal in Los Angeles but once again her calling found her. She wanted to forget everything so badly after she killed Angel. She couldn't cope with the fact that had to send him to hell, even though he got his soul back.

Spike, of course, ran away with Drusilla.

She didn't feel like she could go home, anyways. Joyce had kicked her out, much to Manny's displeasure. Manny had tried to talk to their mom. Buffy was on her way to Los Angeles already when Joyce realized that she had made a mistake.

Buffy didn't really know how she was supposed to act now that she was back. She was really unsure of herself and wasn't sure what she should do.

"Buffy?" Manny asked her after he ran to Buffy's room. Buffy stopped unpacking and turned to look at Manny.

"Hey, Manny," she said shyly. She knew that he was mad, even though he looked calm. It was always scarier when he was mad and calm, than mad and screaming at her. Manny walked to his sister and hugged her. Buffy hold Manny tightly to her. She had missed him more than she could describe.

"Bu-Buffy…?" Manny breathed out.

"Yes, Benjaman?" Buffy asked, smiling. Manny took a hold of Buffy's shoulders and pushed her away a little.

"How's school?" Buffy asked him before Manny crossed his arms.

"Don't even try," Manny told his sister, narrowing his eyes.

"What? I'm not doing anything," Buffy said innocently.

"You're avoiding. I'm so disappointed in you, Buffy."

"Manny…?"

"You just left, _again_ ," Manny yelled the last word.

"I just couldn't—"Buffy started saying but Manny stopped her with his hand.

"Couldn't what? Deal with life? Don't you remember your promise last time you ran away?" Manny yelled. Joyce might just leave Buffy alone but Manny couldn't do that. He was too upset with her.

"Stop it," Buffy said so quietly that Manny could barely hear her.

"Even the vampire came back before you did," Manny told her sadly.

"Angel?" Buffy asked, shockingly. _He couldn't be back._ She had sent him to hell.

"No. Not _him_. I meant Spike," Manny told her.

"Why? He left town with his vampire ho," Buffy wondered aloud.

"We were looking for you. _I_ went looking for you when your watcher got some tip where you might be, and there he was."

* * *

" _Buffy?" Buffy, is that you?" Manny asked when he heard voices behind him. He really hoped it wasn't a vampire. He didn't have a stake with him, not that he knew how to use one without getting himself killed. Manny's sister might be a slayer but that didn't help him right now. He was only human and he had no idea, where his sister was. She could be dead, for all he knew._

" _That bitch," a drunken voice said behind him. Manny turned around and saw a blonde vampire. Manny recognized him from his house. The vampire had helped his sister before Buffy disappeared._

" _Spike?" Manny asked after he remembered the vampire's name. Spike reminded him of Billy Idol._

" _The slayer's brother, right?" Spike asked before he took a gulp of his drink._

" _That's right. You're not killing me, right?" Manny asked him. Manny admitted to himself that he was little afraid of him._

" _Is little sis here?" Spike asked him._

" _No. I don't think so," Manny admitted sadly. He had no idea why he admitted it to a evil vampire who could easily kill him._

" _What are you doing here without the slayer?" Spike wondered aloud._

" _Giles, that's Buffy's watcher, thought that she might be here but I guess not. Where's that girl who got you to help Buffy?"_

" _Dru is not just a girl, you git," Spike started angrily, "She is my princess of darkness."_

" _So where is she then?"_

" _She left me," Spike cried, "She left me for a bloody chaos demon. Have you ever seen them? All slime and antlers, they're disgusting!"_

* * *

"So you found drunken Spike and instead of running away: you talked to him about his relationship to Drusilla?" Buffy asked him confused.

"Not just about their relationship. We also talked about Hayley and other stuff," Manny told his sister.

"Why would you talk about Hayley with him?" Buffy asked his brother as she remembered the beautiful girl with light olive skin. Hayley had long, brown hair and hazel green eyes.

"Because we broke up, Buffy," Manny admitted.

"Why did you break up, Manny? You really liked her," Buffy said, confused. Manny and Hayley started dating not long after they moved to Sunnydale. Buffy remembered, how happy she was for him. Buffy didn't like Hayley's attitude, much but she made Manny happier.

"It doesn't really matter. We broke up. End of the story," Manny said in a voice that told Buffy that he didn't want to talk about.

Manny wasn't upset about it, not anymore. That didn't mean that he wanted to admit his sister that Hayley got fed up with him. Hayley didn't like the fact that finding his sister was so important to him. He didn't have so much time to be with her during the summer, so she broke up with him.

"So what does that all have to do with Spike being in town?" Buffy asked him.

"Maybe because I didn't come back home immediately, after realizing that you weren't there."

"What do you mean, Manny?" Buffy wondered aloud. _Why wouldn't he?_

"I mean that I liked Spike, so I stayed in South America for a while. I convinced Spike to come with me, when I had to come back," Manny admitted.

"You did what?" Buffy yelled at her brother.

"I know you made a deal with him, Buffy but he's my friend. So don't stake him or anything," Manny asked his sister.

"Fine," Buffy said unconvincingly.

"Promise me?" Manny asked her.

"Fine. I promise, as long as he doesn't try to kill me or my friends," Buffy promised.

"Thank you," Manny said, relieved.

"But only for you. You should be happy I love you," Buffy pouted and Manny smiled at her before leaving her room.

Buffy tried to keep unpacking her stuff but she couldn't stay in her room. She was so used to the voices in Los Angeles, so it was hard to be in her room, alone. She took a long-sleeved shirt from her wardrobe and went to her mom's room. She wanted to know if it was okay that she went to see her friends and Giles.


	3. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Buffy wants her life back. She only wanted to have 'dinner' party with her friends but somehow it ended up to be a high school party.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Takes place during Dead Man's Party. Has not been beta'd.

Buffy was going to get her life back together. She saw her friends and watcher again, so that was a start.

Then there was the subject of school. She thought that if anyone could get His ugliness to admit her back to school, it was her mother. Buffy was kind of expecting Principal Snyder to decline, so it wasn't a surprise when he did. He hated her.

"Patty wishes us quality time," Buffy told his mother after she met her mother's friend outside.

"Oh. I met her in a…" Joyce started telling her daughter as Buffy opened a kitchen cabinet.

"Book club," Buffy interrupted her mother. Patty had already told her the story, "Got it."

"Before I forget, Willow just called," Joyce informed her.

"Where was she?" Buffy asked. They were supposed to meet but Willow never showed up.

"She got held up," Joyce told her, "But she said she tried to call."

"Was there a message?" Buffy asked her as she opened the fridge. She couldn't believe that Willow didn't inform her before, that she couldn't make it.

"No," Joyce told her, "But I had a thought. What if I invited Willow and Mr Giles and everybody over for dinner tomorrow night? Don't you think that would be nice?"

"Since I sort of already did, I was hoping for yes," Joyce informed her daughter when she was met with a silence.

"That'll be fun," Buffy said, giving a little smile to her mother.

"Great. Manny is coming with his friend, too."

"What friend?" Buffy asked her mother quickly as she thought about her brother coming to the dinner with a certain bleach blonde vampire.

"Spike. He's been here a lot while you were gone. I had hot chocolate with him few times while he was waiting for your brother. He hasn't been here much anymore after Manny started college," Joyce informed her.

"Do you… like him?" Buffy wondered aloud. It felt so surreal to think that her family liked Spike, who had tried to kill her, at least twice.

"He's a nice young man," Joyce admitted and Buffy couldn't believe that Joyce said Spike and nice on a same sentence.

"Do me a favour? Run down and get the company plates," Joyce asked her and Buffy looked at her mother, like she was crazy.

"Mom… Willow and everybody aren't company-plate people," Buffy told Joyce, "They're normal-plate people."

"We never have guests for dinner. Indulge your mother?" Joyce asked and Buffy walked away to get the plates. She never would have guessed, that she would find a dead cat and she would have to bury it with her mother.

Buffy wasn't in a good mood when she woke up. She dreamed about Angel, again. She was tired of dreaming about him. It just reminded her what he did after sleeping with her and also, what she had to do to save the world. It didn't help that her mother wanted to talk about possible schools. She really didn't like the idea of a private school.

"A girls' school?" She asked her mother, "So now it's jackets, kilts and no boys? Care to throw in a little foot-binding?"

"Buffy, you made some bad choices. You just might have to live with some consequences," Joyce told her after putting her cup of coffee down. Buffy looked away from her mother.

"Nothing's settled yet," Joyce said, trying to soothe her daughter's mind, "I just wish you didn't have to be so secretive about things. It's not your fault you have a special circumstance. They should make allowances for you."

"Mom, I'm a slayer. It's not like I need to ride a little bus to school," Buffy told her mother. It would be nice to get paid to slay, though.

Joyce didn't really get her slaying. Joyce asked her, why she couldn't tell a few people, like Principal Snyder and maybe the police. Joyce thought that they would be happy to have a superhero. That was just before Joyce opened the back door and a cat walked in. Buffy recognized it as the cat they buried.

"Was that…?" Joyce asked as the cat passed them.

"I-I think so. I think I should call Giles," Buffy said.

"I thought this was supposed to be a dinner party?" Manny asked, not expecting anyone to answer.

"It looks more like a high school party," Spike told him as he looked at the Slayer talking with Red. He could hear that the big party wasn't the slayer's idea. She would've been happy just to hang together with her friends. He guessed that her friends didn't really know how to act around her, now that she was back.

"There's Buffy," Manny told him when he spotted his sister. Manny started to walk to her but she didn't seem to see them. Buffy took a hold of Willow's hand and dragged her away from the noise, just before they reached her. Manny wanted to greet his sister, so they followed the girls.

"Is everything OK?" Buffy asked her friend, "You seem to be avoiding me, in the one-on-one sense."

"What? This isn't avoiding. See? Here you are, here I am," Willow said but Spike could see that she was lying.

"So we're cool?"

"Way. That's why, with the party, cos we're all glad you're back."

"OK," Buffy said, fake smiling.

"OK. Good," Willow said before leaving and Buffy lost his smile.

"Buffy, are you OK?" Manny asked his sister and it seemed like, she didn't even notice they were there.

"Oh. Hey, Manny. I'm fine, thanks," Buffy said, fake smiling again. It was weird to look at Spike and Manny side by side. Manny was a little shorter than Spike. Manny had green eyes, like her but Spike had blue eyes. Manny put his fingers through his blonde hair, like he did when he was uncomfortable.

"I'll be right back. I need to talk with mom," Manny told them before leaving Buffy alone with Spike. Buffy knew, why Manny was uncomfortable to leave her alone with Spike. They were enemies afterall.

"What do you think you're doing with my brother?" Buffy asked him, crossing her arms.

"I'm his friend. What were you thinking skipping town, Slayer?" Spike asked back.

"That's none of your business," Buffy told his enemy, angrily, "and you don't have a soul."

"I don't have a soul? That's your comeback? I don't have a soul, so I can't be friends with your brother? For you information, little miss tiny," Spike told her, pointing at her with his finger, "I happen to like your mother and big bro."

"Nice ring," Buffy mocked at him. Spike was wearing a huge green ring on his finger. Spike stormed out to look for Manny and Buffy wondered, what all that was about. Why did he ran out after she mentioned his ring? Buffy wondered, before she decided that she couldn't stay there. Everything was a mess. She just couldn't deal with everything.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry that it took so long. My computer went poof. *facepalm*
> 
> What do you think about this chapter?


	4. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Buffy starts backing her stuff but Willow finds her before she can run away.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Takes place during Dead Man's Party. Has not been beta'd.

Buffy had had enough. She didn't like how she felt like an outsider on her own party, on her own house. It felt like none of her friends, watcher or even her mom were glad that she was back. It didn't help that she had to deal with Spike or when she heard that somebody thought she was some girl, who just got out of rehab. She walked into her room and started to pack her clothes again.

Buffy didn't know that in the next room her mother's mask that was hanging on the wall, glowed or that dead people, zombies were drawn to it. Nobody had an idea what was going to happen because one simple mask, except for Giles who had just read about it in one of his books.

Willow came to apologize for her friend for how she was acting but then she saw, what Buffy was doing.

"You're leaving again?" Willow asked, getting a little upset and Buffy turned for a second to look at her friend before continuing.

"You just stopped by for your lint brush and now you're ready to go?"

"It's not like anyone will mind," Buffy told her, quietly.

"No. Have a great time and don't forget to not write," Willow said, sarcastically and Buffy turned to look at her.

"Why are you attacking me?" Buffy asked her, almost crying, "I'm trying."

"Wow. And it looks so much like giving up."

"I'm just trying to make things easier," Buffy told her, quietly.

"For who?"

"You guys were doing fine without me."

"We were doing the best we could. It's not like we had a lot of choice and hello! Your brother is hanging out with a vampire. Spike doesn't even have a soul like Angel!" Willow yelled.

"Sorry that I had to leave,but you don't know what I was going though. And what was I supposed to do about Manny and Spike? Tell him 'No, brother. You can't hang out with one person that made it easier while I was gone? Manny is still mad at me for leaving but he doesn't understand. None of you do!"

"Well, I'd like to," Willow admitted.

"You wouldn't understand."

"...Well, maybe I don't need to understand. Maybe I just need you to talk to me," Willow told her.

"How could I when you were avoiding me?" Buffy asked, raising her voice.

"This isn't easy, Buffy. I know you're going through stuff, but so am I," Willow said, trying to get Buffy to understand.

"I know you were worried about me but…"

"No. I don't just mean that," Willow told Buffy, interrupting her, "I mean, my life. You know? I'm having all sorts of…I'm dating. I am having a serious dating with a werewolf and I'm studying witchcraft and killing vampires, and I didn't have anyone to talk to about all this scary life you were my best friend."

"You have no idea how much I missed you. Everyone," Buffy told Willow as they were both crying after Willow's speech,"I wanted to call every day."

"That doesn't matter, Buffy," Willow told her as Joyce walked in, "It doesn't make it OK that you didn't"

"What is this?" Joyce asked the two girls standing in her daughter's room.

"Is this some sort of a joke?" Joyce asked her daughter, after she saw her half full bag of clothes.

"Mom, please, could you just…" Buffy pleaded her mother, as Manny and Spike walked in.

"No, I can't just," Joyce said at the same time as Manny asked, what was going on.

"She was running away again. Weren't you, Betty?" Spike asked.

"It's Buffy!" Buffy yelled at him, "And no, I wasn't...I'm not sure."

"Buffy!" Manny yelled. He thought he had his sister back and now she wanted to run away, again.

"You better get sure and explain yourself," Joyce told her. Spike didn't know what was wrong with him. He, sort of, felt sorry for the slayer. He knew it couldn't be easy for her to kill her precious Angel. Why did he feel sorry for her? She didn't deserve it and he definitely didn't fancy her, like Dru thought. He needed to kill her, he thought as he looked at the crying slayer.

"...If you think you can take off anytime you feel li…" Joyce told her daughter, after she stepped closer to her.

"Stop it. Please," Buffy pleaded, "I-I don't know. I don't know what I'm doing," she said before walking away. Luckily for her, no one was standing in her way. She ran down the stairs, her mom hot on her heels.

"Don't you dare leave this house, young lady. You know what? That's it," Joyce said, taking a hold of Buffy's arm and turning her around, to face her, "You and I are gonna have a talk."

"Mom, please," Buffy said after music stopped and everyone started to stare.

"You know what? I don't care. I don't care what your friends think me or you, for that matter, because you put me through the wringer. I mean it," Joyce told her madly, as Xander and Cordelia walked closer to them, "And I've had schnapps. Do you have any idea what it's been like? For me, your brother and your friends."

"Mom, this isn't the t…"

"You can't imagine months of not knowing," Joyce told Buffy and Oz walked, to stand beside Willow, "Not knowing whether you're lying dead in a ditch somewhere or living it up."

"But you told me. You're the one who said I should go," Buffy told her mother, "You said if I leave, don't come back. You found out who I really was and you couldn't deal. Remember?" Spike was shocked. He never would've believed that Joyce would tell her daughter to never come back.

"Buffy, you didn't give me time," Joyce said as some people walked outside," You dumped it on me and expected me to get it. Well, guess what? Mom's not perfect,OK? I handled it badly. But that doesn't give you the right to punish me by running away."

"Punish you? I didn't do this to punish you," Buffy said, shocked.

"Well, you did," Xander put in, "You didn't see what you put her throught. Maybe you don't wanna hear it, Buffy, but taking off was incredibly selfish and stupid."

"Ok. I screwed up. I know this," Buffy yelled threw her hands in the air, "But you have no idea! You have no idea what happened to me or what I was feeling."

"Did you even try talking to anybody?" Xander wondered aloud.

"There was nothing anybody could do. OK? I just had to deal with this on my own."

"You could've talked to me! I'm your brother and I've and always will be there for you!" Manny yelled. Buffy kept arguing with Xander, Cordelia and Willow until Willow said a word 'violence' and someone attacked through window.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What do you guys think about this chapter? Sorry it took awhile.
> 
> I don't really think this chapter was worth the wait, so sorry.
> 
> Should I try to add more original scenes? It feels like I'm just copying scenes and adding few lines.


	5. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The scoobies are argung with Manny and Joyce that Spike is evil.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Takes place during Dead Man's Party. Beta'd by acekoomboom

Manny really just wasn’t into fighting, especially fighting again the supernatural, such as zombies. Having a vampire friend and slayer sister didn’t mean shit in this instance. He hated being normal sometimes because it made him feel helpless. Buffy and Spike could kick ass, but Manny? He mostly screamed or launched an occasional attempt to hurt vampires, or in this case zombies.

Manny had just walked into his mother’s room when Patty, who was wearing the mask from Joyce’s wall, hit Buffy and she flew against the door.

“Willow, don’t look,” Buffy said. He knew from her tone of voice that she was a little scared, and when the slayer was scared? Not good. Not good at all.

You would think that Buffy’s friends would’ve learned to listen her after all that they have been through, but did Willow? Of course not. She didn’t turn away, instead just stood there looking at Patty, forcing Buffy to have to save her.

Manny just watched as his little sister threw herself and her opponent out of a closed window. He wasn’t naive enough to try and fight against Patty, especially when even Buffy was a little afraid of her. I really should learn some martial art, Manny thought to himself. Not only to stop feeling helpless, but to stay alive. He couldn’t expect Buffy to always save him. Manny turned and started running out of Joyce’s room.

“Where do you think you are going?” Spike asked him as Manny passed him.

“To see that my little sis’ is okay,” Manny yelled as he ran past.

“Bollocks!” Spike yelled looking between Joyce, who was fighting against a zombie, and Manny. Eventually he decide to save Joyce first, and then save Manny. He might be evil but he liked those two, and they wouldn’t die on his watch. Spike might even be a little sad if either one of them died.

And the slayer would try to dust him and find out what his ring did before he wanted her to. That thought made Spike feel better about saving her family. He was able to pretend that he was doing it to save himself and not face up to the fact that he cared about their short, human lives.

Manny couldn’t get to his sister because of her friends and watcher blocking his way downstairs. It looked really cool when Oz jumped over the side of the stairs, but Manny couldn’t do that, so he just watched as Oz ran outside to tell Buffy about Moboni’s power lying in his eyes.

“Buffy!” Oz screamed, shifting Patty’s attention from Buffy to himself.

“Hey, Pat!” Buffy chirped after she got up from the ground. Patty turned around and Buffy hit her in the eyes with the shovel. Oz didn’t even have time to tell her about the whole eye thing before Buffy had it sorted.

“Made you look,” Buffy quipped. Patty screamed and took a hold of the shovel as a blinding light shone from her mask. Not long after, Patty and the mask disappeared along with all other zombies.

“Nevermind,” Oz told her.

“So, is this a typical day at the office?” Joyce asked her daughter.

“No. This was nothing,” Buffy admitted. All of her friends started to gather around her. “Nice moves,” Xander told her.

“You too,” Buffy said. Willow smiled at her and they hugged.

“Is everyone okay?” Buffy asked the group.

“Don’t worry, Buffy. Everyone’s fine,” Joyce assured her.

“I’m sorry about your friend, Joyce,” Spike said, causing everyone to turn and look at him.

“What? I can’t be sorry?”

“You’re evil,” Xander said, like it explained everything.

“Is that all you people can say? You’re evil. You’re soulless. Blaah blaah blaah,” Spike wondered aloud.

He was met with silence.

“Apparently not,” Manny said, “because none of you can say anything.”

“He has tried to kill us, particularly Buffy, many times,” Giles told him, a serious look on his face.

“And when was the last time? He’s not even that evil anymore.” Manny shrugged.

“Hey!” Spike interjected. “I resent that. I’m evil, and don’t forget that just because I don’t try to kill you all every second.”

“That’s what I’ve been trying to tell him!” Buffy told him.

“Good!” Spike yelled.

“Good!” Buffy yelled right back.

“William can’t be that evil, honey,” Joyce told her daughter.

“Who’s William?” Cordelia asked, confused.

“Spike,” Manny clarified, knowing Spike’s birth name. He must have told it to him and Joyce once, while drinking hot chocolate with marshmallows, but Manny could not remember exactly when.

“Why do you figure that, Joyce?” Giles wondered aloud. “What is he even doing here?”

“I invited him,” Manny said.

“What?!” Giles coughed. “Buffy, did you know about this?”

“You didn’t? According to Manny, they have been hanging out since he came back.”

“We didn’t even know Spike was in town,” Willow admitted.

“You didn’t?” Buffy asked, beginning to get perplexed.

“We’ve been kinda busy with searching for you and doing your job for you,” Xander said, defending Giles.

“Such a good job, too, with code names and… stuff,” Buffy said, sarcastically.

“We had to do something!” Xander shouted. “We had no idea when-- if you were coming back. You just ran away!”

“How many times do I have to say sorry?” Buffy yelled at her friends.

“I know you’re sorry, Buffy. Xander, stop making Buffy feel bad. Be happy that she’s back,” Willow pleaded.

“Is that why you trust Spike, Joyce? Because he’s been here for you and Manny?” Giles asked.

“That, and he just saved me from a zombie,” Joyce admitted. Everyone turned to look at Spike with shock yet again.

“What are you tossers staring at?” Spike defended. “This doesn’t mean I’m some bloody white hat!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes, I have beta now :)


	6. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Buffy sees Spike walking in the sunlight.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Takes place during Faith Hope and Trick. Beta'd by awesome acekoomboom, who corrects my awkward writing :D

“Buffy, I’m sorry about what I said back at your house,” Xander apologized. Not only because Willow made him, either. He had just been so mad at the time, and had let that anger out on Buffy.

“Are you?” Cordelia asked, butting in.

“I am,” Xander replied.

“I’m sorry too, Xander, but I won’t keep apologizing for the same thing,” Buffy told her friend.

“You mean the whole abandoning all of your friends?” Cordelia asked her.

“Guys, please. Xander apologized. Buffy… kinda apologized. Can we just move on?” Willow pleaded. She hated when her best friends were fighting. Once upon a time, when she had a huge crush on Xander, she would’ve been happy that they were fighting, but not now.

“I brought food,” Buffy said, smiling at her friends.

“What’s for lunch?” Xander asked her.

“I just threw a few things together,” Buffy lied, waving a modest hand.

“When did you become Martha Stewart?” Cordelia asked Buffy, and the gang started talking about the celebrity.

“Ooh. Scott Hope at 11 o’clock,” Willow told her, “He likes you.” Buffy would like him too, if she wasn’t so messed up. Scott Hope was sweet and good-natured. He was like a blueberry muffin with a crumbly top.

“He wanted to ask you out last year, but you weren’t ready then,” Willow continued, “But I think you’re ready now. Or at least in the state of pre-readiness to make conversation. Or that thing with your mouth that boys like.” Buffy turned to look at her friend quickly after hearing that.

“Oh, not the bad thing with your mouth, I meant that half-smile thing you-” Willow babbled before complaining at her boyfriend because he didn’t stop her.

“I like when you do that,” Oz told her and they smiled at each other. Buffy loved how cute they were, sometimes. Other times she was jealous and hated that her boyfriend had to turn evil and she had to send him to hell.

“Hi, Buffy,” Scott said, as he walked past them.

“Hi,” Buffy said sweetly. She might be messed up but Scott was really nice and he wasn’t mysterious, and another the plus side? He was walking in the sunlight.

 

Buffy hoped that principal Snyder would let her back into school already. It was only a few more days until she would go talk to him with her mother. Buffy loved that she didn’t have go to school, but it was starting be just so boring. She felt like she had nothing to do while her friends were at school and her mom at work. She couldn’t even talk to Manny because he was in college.

Buffy was walking home after her picnic lunch with her friends when she saw Spike. Walking. In the daylight. Strolling behind a group of kids on a field trip. She would have thought herself as insane if she didn’t recognize his coat, or if he didn’t turn to look at her, surprised.

Buffy pushed Spike to an alley close by and hit his nose with her fist.

“What was that for, slayer?” Spike asked, touching his bleeding nose and narrowing his eyes at her.

“What do you think? You were hunting children. In the daylight,” Buffy replied with her fist ready, when he decided to attack.

Spike kicked Buffy in the stomach, speaking with his eyebrows up. “It is a really nice day, and I can’t wait to see if I will freckle, but did it  _ look _ like I was going to eat any of them? I was minding my own business.”

“Like I would be stupid enough to believe that.” Buffy rolled her eyes before trying to hit Spike again and was blocked by his arm.

“Because I’m a vampire?” Spike asked as they were throwing fists and feet at each other.

“Yes!” Buffy said, like it was so obvious.

“How about you, then?” Spike shot back.

“What about me? Me, slayer. You, vampire.”

“You know where the slayer’s power comes from, right?” Spike asked after it seemed like the slayer had no idea what he was talking about. He was right, Buffy didn't have any idea of what he was talking about, so she kept quiet.

“Demon. It comes from a demon,” Spike informed, smirking. Buffy was too shocked, so she didn’t see it coming when Spike hit her so hard that she fell to the ground.

“I don’t believe you,” Buffy said unconvincingly as she touched her bleeding lip.

“Didn’t your watcher give you a slayer’s handbook? Look it up. Better yet, if you don't believe me, ask your watcher,” Spike suggested as he walked away from her.

“It’s not true,” Buffy said as she stood up from the ground. Spike might be lying but it wouldn’t hurt to check it out.

It can’t be true.

_ But what if it was? _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So... What do you guys think?


	7. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Buffy tried to have a talk with Giles after having a slayer dream and she & gang meets someone, who Manny has a crush on.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this is not beta'd because my beta has disappeared and this chapter has been on my computer for few months now.

Buffy dreamed about Angel, as usual. They were dancing at Bronze and Buffy dropped her ring but suddenly the dream changed when Angel was picking the ring up. Usually she would have nightmares about sending him to hell, but not this time.

This time Angel and the Bronze disappeared, and she was walking to her house.

“Angel?! Mom?!” She yelled. This had to either be another Angel- dream or she was sleep walking. Buffy walked until someone jumped on her.

“Who are you?” Buffy asked the girl with black dreadlock and dark skin. The girl also had some kind of black and white face pack.

“I’m Sineya, the first Slayer. The Watcher has the answers you seek,”Sineya told Buffy and she woke up.

Principal Snyder let her finally back to school but he had some terms. One, Buffy has to pass a make-up test of every class she skipped out last year. Two, she provides, in writing, one glowing letter of recommendation from any member of their faculty who is not an English librarian. That one would’ve been too easy for Principal Snyder. Three, she completes an interview with their school psychologist, who must conclude that Buffy’s violent tendencies are under control. She couldn’t wait, Buffy thought sarcastically. Buffy knew that she really was back because school board overruled him and not because Snyder gave in.

Buffy was glad that Giles needed to see her. Not because it usually meant that something evil was in the loose, but because she really needed to talk with him too. She wasn’t going to say anything to her watcher about what Spike told her but after her dream, she kinda had to.

“Have you noticed, though, when he is mad but he’s too English to say anything he makes that weird cluck-cluck sound with his tongue?” Willow asked her because she knew Buffy was a little afraid that Giles was still mad at her. Willow, of course, had no idea that Giles was under the counter and could hear that she was talking about him.

“Hi,Giles,” Buffy said immediately after seeing him getting up behind Willow.

“Oh, hi. Been there long?” Willow asked Giles, after turning around.

“Buffy, good timing. I could use your help. I trust you remember the demon Acathla?” Giles asked his slayer.

“Giles, contain yourself. Yes, I’m back in school, but you know it embarrasses me when you gush on. Let’s just skip that and get to work,” Buffy said, sarcastically.

“Oh. Aah…I am-- of course it’s wonderful to have you back. That goes without saying,”Giles told her. Buffy knew that but it would’ve still been nice to hear it.

“But you enjoy making me say it, don’t you?” Giles continued.

“Ok, Acathla, huh?” Buffy asked him,pulling him from his misery, “What are you doin’? Making him demon pizza?”

“We need to make sure he remains dormant, and that the dimensional vortex is sealed tight, so I’m working on a binding spell.”

“ooh, a spell! Can I help?” Willow asked immediately after hearing a word ‘spell’. She was crazy about witchcraft after giving Angel his soul back. Not that, that did much good for him, in the end.

“Possibly with the research. It’s a very sensitive and…”

“Who’s more sensitive than me?” Willow asked, interrupting him.

“...and difficult spell,” Giles finished and Willow started to sulk,” It involves creating a protective circle around--I won’t bore you with the details, but there’s a litany one has to recite in Aramaic, and it’s very specific, so I need details about your experience of defeating Acathla and Angel.”

“I needed to talk about something, Giles,” Buffy told her watcher after explaining a lot of stuff about her fight against Angel and Acathla.

“What is it, Buffy?”

“Where does the Slayer get their powers?” Buffy was afraid of the answer, but it had to be asked.

“Buffy…”

“It’s not from a demon or anything like that, right?” Buffy asked, looking straight to Giles’ blue eyes.

“Where is this coming from?” Giles asked, nonplussed.

“I had a slayer dream. Oh, no. The answer has to wait,” Buffy told him after she saw what the clock was, “I have to go take an English make-up exam.”

 

Buffy saw Willow being all couple-y with Oz, so instead of going to them, she decided to walk to Manny. He was at Bronze with his best friends. Buffy never knew Damien or Shawn that well, but she really liked Wendy. It wasn’t like Manny never brought Damien and Shawn to the house, but she never really talked to them.

Damien had dark hair and blue eyes, when Shawn had blonde hair and brown eyes. Damien could be really sarcastic and Shawn was really into comic books.Wendy on other hand was the only girl in group. She had red hair, like Oz, and freckles.

Manny used to have a lot more friends, but Buffy guessed they stopped hanging with him after he and Hayley broke up. Buffy couldn’t say that she was sad about that. She never liked them, or Hayley. Buffy just tolerated Hayley because she seemed to make Manny happy.

“Hey, Manny,” Buffy said, smiling when she reached their table.

“Hey, sis,” Manny smiled back until he saw that her smile didn’t reach her eyes.

“What’s wrong? Didn’t you get back to school?” Manny asked, worried.

“Of course I did. What did you expect? Principal Snyder absolutely loved me,” Buffy said, sarcastically.

“Buffy,” Manny told his sister with his no bullshit voice.

“It might be nothing. I will tell you after I have talked to Giles about it, OK?” She never had the chance to talk with Giles, so she had been worried since her test ended.

“Promise?”

“I promise, dad. At least I passed my English make-up exam,” Buffy told him and this time she smiled genuinely.

“I’m nothing like dad,” Manny told Buffy, seriously. He didn’t like to be reminded about their father. He never tried to even get in touch with them. The siblings visited him few summers ago but that’s it. Hank couldn’t buy his forgiveness, like he bought Buffy’s with shoes and clothes.

“I’m sorry,” Buffy apologized. She knew that their father was a sore subject with her brother.

“Hi Wendy and guys,” Buffy said after turning to look at her brothers friends.

“Hi, Buffy,” Wendy said smiling and the guys just said quick ‘hi’s.

“Look at that girl,” Damien said, almost drooling after he hit Manny’s shoulder. All of them turned to look at a girl with middle length, curly hair and really ugly clothes. She was dancing with a guy with dark hair and maybe even worse clothes.

“She’s beautiful,” Manny said and blushed after realizing, what he just said.

“Does someone have a crush?” Damien teased him.

“I need to go, Manny. I don’t think that guy thrives on sunshine,” Buffy said after the couple started to walk outside. Buffy decided to follow them until the girl gets killed by a vampire.

“What?” Shawn asked clueless.

“Nothing!” Wendy yelled. She was the only one who knew that Buffy was a slayer. She actually knew before Manny did because Buffy had to save her life once.

Buffy finally got outside after she got rid of Scott, who tried to stop her by talking to her. She really had no time for that, even if she was interested. Buffy’s friends weren’t the only ones who followed her when she found the girl. The brown haired girl wasn’t in trouble, like she thought she would be.

“Wow,” Shawn said, quietly.

“It’s OK, I got it. You’re Buffy, right?” The brown haired girl asked her. The vampire took a hold of the girl’s arms and she hit his head, with her own. Buffy couldn’t do anything, but stare at her.

“I’m Faith,” she told Buffy, before she pushed the vampire.

“I’m gonna go out on a limb and say there’s a new slayer in town,” Oz said as Faith kept fight the vampire.

“A-A slayer?” Shawn asked. He had no idea what was going on.

“Yeah. A slayer, like my sister,” Manny told his friend, “I’ll explain later.”

“Can I borrow that?” Faith asked just before she took a stake from Buffy’s hand. Not long later she staked the vampire.

“Thanks, B. Couldn’t have done it without you,” Faith told Buffy, giving her stake back to her and walked away.

“Manny, close your mouth. You’re starting to drool,” Wendy told her friend.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So here is the chapter six and I'm sorry if it has a lot of grammar mistakes.
> 
> What do you guys think about Manny's friends? I thought he needed other friends than Spike :D And what do you guys think about his crush on Faith?


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